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This extremely interesting girl, after giving me a single glance from her beautiful eyes, stubbornly refused to look at me again. My vanity at once made me think that it was only so that I would be at full liberty to study her impeccable beauty. It was on this girl that I instantly set my sights, as if all Europe were only a seraglio provided for my pleasures.

Giacomo Casanova#36

LoveEgoObsessionPerceptionVanity

About this quote

What does it mean?
The narrator interprets a woman's refusal to look as a challenge to obsess over her.
In plain terms
Ignoring someone can be seen as a way to objectify them freely.
What can you take from it?
Recognize when personal vanity distorts how you interpret others' actions.

Where it applies

  • social interactions
  • unrequited interest
  • dating dynamics

Putting it to work

  • reflect on motives when attracted
  • respect boundaries instead of projecting fantasies

Questions to consider

  • Do you project fantasies onto others?
  • How do you handle rejection?

Another view

Interpreting silence or distance as personal invitation is often a sign of arrogance.

More from Giacomo Casanova

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  3. [H]appy or miserable, life is the only blessing which man possesses[.]

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